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S/Sgt Roger E Edgar Birth 01/12/1923 - Died 06/15/2008
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Roger Edgar was born in Missouri in 1923. His parents were Ross E Edgar and Mina Edgar (1887-1974). The Edgar family lived in Joplin, which is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U.S. State of Missouri and is the largest city in Jasper County. Roger Edgar graduated high school and enlisted at Jefferson Barracks, MO on Nov 27, 1942. He was assigned to the Air Corps. Roger married Dorothy (Dort) and they had a little daughter Karoll Ann. Eventually, Roger completed gunnery training at Laredo, TX and was assigned to the 449th Bomb Group. (See the picture with his mates there). He also completed his radio operator training.
Sgt Roger Edgar was assigned to the Thieme crew in the very beginning of crew training. He was even on the crash of the "Betty Ann" over Morroco on December 15, 1943 when severe weather had catastropic effects on the plane. Roger was one of the lucky guy's who was not injured in the crash. Sgt Carl Vaagen broke his legs on 2 places and Sgt Guy Blakely broke his ankles and his leg in addition to being badly cut. There ware 13 men on board the "Betty Ann", so there were 3 extra men on board. Capt Hayes was killed because he opened his chute to soon and it caught on the plane and ripped wide open. After this crash the Thieme crew was split up and went to different places.
On January 15, 1944 Sgt Roger Edgar flew his first combat mission with the Frones crew on the B-24 named "Mighty Mouse". Their target was the rail station of Prato, Italy. S/Sgt Meddie Brouillette was also an original member of this crew but was replaced that day by Sgt Roger Edgar. Later Meddie was KIA on the 04/04/1944 mission over Bucharest with the Thieme crew. During the January 15 attack of the marshalling yard at Prato Italy, "Mighty)
Mouse" lost power in two of the engines shortly after passing the Isle of Elba. Crew members were given a choice to either bail out over water or stay with the ship until it ditched. 4 bailed out and 2 became POWs and 6 chose to remain in the ship. The 6 airmen who remained in the ship were KIA. "Mighty Mouse" was identified by tail #10; serial #41-28594. The plane crashed at the Adriatic sea near Ancona, Italy.
On the picture Training at Laredo, TX from left to right: Fussa, Yando, McConnel, Edgar, Dobrazanski. Edgar was the only one to survive the war!
S/Sgt Meddie Brouillette was an original member of the Frones crew 9-1G-B but was replaced that day by Sgt Roger Edgar. Later Meddie was KIA on the 04/04/1944 mission over Bucharest with the Thieme crew.
Sgt Roger Edgar was one of the four survivors and landed in enemy territory inside Italy. He stayed with different farmers and kept moving because the Germans and Fascists were recapturating British and American pilots. When Italy surrended, Roger was finally able to return to the US Army Air Corps and was pleased that his great adventure was now over. Sgt Roger E Edgar was awarded the Silver Star upon return to the US. In the 1950's, the Edgar family moved to California where Roger lived for the rest of his life. He was school teacher until his retirement and lived his last years with his daughter Karol at Yuba City, CA. Roger Edgar died on June 15, 2008 and will always be missed as a father, grandfather and friend.
Letter from Italy, letter Dorothy, newspaper clip, telegram, statement S/Sgt Edgar
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Some pages off the MACR 2397 and the statements off T/Sgt Clayton and S/Sgt Irvin.
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Special thanks go to his daughter Karol for the letters and pictures she kindly provided to me in the memory of her beloved father, Roger E Edgar.
